Iranian leaders say Israeli missile strike killed senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps adviser

Iran's state media says an Israeli airstrike outside Damascus in Syria on Monday killed an Iranian senior adviser in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Reuters reported that three security sources confirmed the death of Sayyed Razi Mousavi, who was responsible for coordinating a military alliance between Iran and Syria.

State television interrupted programming to announce the death of Mousavi and described him as one of the oldest advisers for the IRGC in Syria.

The announcement stated that Mousavi accompanied Qassem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC's elite Quds Force, who died in a U.S. drone attack in Iraq in 2020.

Hossein Akbari, Iran’s ambassador in Damascus, told state television that Mousavi was in the embassy as a diplomat and that he was killed by missiles fired by Israel after returning home from work.

The assassination was a show of Israel’s weakness, according to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

'This act is a sign of the Zionist regime's frustration and weakness in the region for which it will certainly pay the price,' Raisi was quoted as saying.

Echoing Raisi, the IRGC also said Israel would suffer for killing the adviser.

'The usurper and savage Zionist regime will pay for this crime,' the IRGC said in a statement provided to state TV.

Nasser Kanaani, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, told state TV, 'Iran reserves the right to take necessary measures to respond to this action at the appropriate time and place.'

Israel’s military did not immediately comment on Mousavi’s death.

Attacks on Iran-linked targets in Syria by Israel are nothing new and have taken place for years. 

Tehran’s influence in the country has continued to grow after backing President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that broke out in 2011 in Syria.

Iran said this month that Israeli strikes killed two members of the IRGC in Syria who also served as military advisers.

Reuters contributed to this report.